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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25756822">Twelve Hours</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Caraphernellic/pseuds/Caraphernellic'>Caraphernellic</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The X-Files</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, F/M, Fluff, MSR, Oneshot, Romance, Slightly spooky, Spooning</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 04:40:16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,689</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25756822</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Caraphernellic/pseuds/Caraphernellic</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>It’s almost eerily quiet out, the only sound around Mulder that of his own boots crunching through the bracken. He follows the path to the light directly, that strange hum in his body growing stronger the closer he grows.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Fox Mulder/Dana Scully, Scully/Mulder</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>43</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Twelve Hours</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I do not own the rights to the characters or The X-Files.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Mulder isn’t sure what has woken him, only that when he did wake, it was definitely the light that kept him conscious.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was a pinpoint of bright white light, deep within the woods but luminescent as the North Star itself. He looked away after a moment and attempted to climb back into bed, but there was an invisible magnetic pull drawing him back to the window. Mulder couldn’t shake the feeling- the ache, the idea that something out there wanted him to find it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was chilly here in the Michigan woods; even in his cozy cabin, the bite of the night air slipped in incrementally. He and Scully were on a case, bunked into two neighboring tiny cabins for the night to get some much needed rest. He glances at the bedside clock- nearly midnight. If he ventures out now, he surely will have time to check out the source of the light and make it back in time to catch a few more hours of sleep before they resume their investigation in the morning.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mulder pulls on a sweatshirt and his boots, too eager to get going to bundle up any more, even forgoing the mittens he knows are somewhere in the cabin.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It’s almost eerily quiet out, the only sound around him that of his own boots crunching through the bracken. He follows the path to the light directly, that strange hum in his body growing stronger the closer he grows.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The light beams out, and Mulder walks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>~</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Scully knocks on Mulder’s door for the third time, this time even harder than the previous attempts. It’s early, barely 8am, but they’ve had earlier days. Maybe he was especially worn out the previous night. She turns the knob and is surprised to find that it twists easily and the door is unlocked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He must have gone for coffee or breakfast, because the cabin is empty. His bed sheets lay rumpled, his boots missing. She sighs- so much for a productive morning.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>By 8:45am there is still no sign of Mulder. Her phone calls go unanswered, and when she spots his phone with an uncharged battery on the nightstand, she knows why.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Another hour passes, and she starts making phone calls to anyone she can think of. No one has heard from her partner since last night. Scully begins looking at the room with a critical eye, as if it is a crime scene. He obviously slept here at some point, if the bed is any indication. And his jacket and boots are gone. The shower and his toothbrush are both dry- wherever he went, he went in some semblance of a hurry, with no freshening up.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Perhaps a morning walk through the woods, a short hike, and something went terribly wrong? A twisted ankle, an animal attack, a seizure or other sudden medical event. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Before noon, local PD is scouring the woods, sweeping the area for any sign of Mulder.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The stone that has taken up residence in Scully’s abdomen grows heavier as the hours pass with still no leads on where her partner is. Herself and local law enforcement have searched far and wide in the wooded area surrounding their cabins, and not a trace had been discovered, not even foot prints.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She’s so fearful, of the thought that he is out there, lost or hurt, needing her. Fearful of the thought of losing him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They’ve been through this before, over their years working together- close calls, one of them hurt and the other desperate for some kind of relief from both of their pain. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That doesn’t make it any easier.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Skinner has called her for an update, but she couldn’t bring herself to answer the phone. What can she say, that they’re no further in their quest than they were hours ago? The thought of admitting out loud for the umpteenth time that day that Mulder is gone is too much for her present state of mind.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She knows that local law enforcement has already done so, but she heads into town anyway to ask around if anyone has seen him. The only picture she has on hand is a goofy photo of the both of them from their first year working together- they had stopped at a local tourist attraction near their case at the time, a ‘Mystery Hill’. Mulder has on a top hat from the gift shop while she dons a feather boa. The shop owner had asked if they wanted a picture and Mulder insisted they get it printed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He kept it in his wallet, which had also been left behind in their cabin. Her heart gives another squeeze- she hadn’t even known he still had it until she saw a flash of it there a few months ago as he paid for one of their meals.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course I kept it Scully, my thirtieth trip to a Mystery Hill? Never mind that you were a bigger mystery than the attraction.” She can still replay his voice in her mind, can still remember her own laugh at his response.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You should’ve kept the hat.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You should’ve kept the boa.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Scully forces the memory away when she realizes that tears have built in her eyes without her permission. She sniffles and tucks the photo back in Mulder’s wallet, reluctantly heading back to the cabins.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>In her own room, she does something she feels a slight shame to admit she hasn’t done in years- she prays.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>By nightfall, the trickle of local law enforcement and volunteers has slowed- they’re still looking, but Scully knows what they’re thinking- that it’s too dark, that they’ve looked in these woods all day, that they aren’t going to find anything, that he isn’t here.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That Mulder is gone, for good.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Still, Scully keeps up with the required nods and “thank you’s” and polite attitude, grateful at least for their efforts.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She borrows a large, heavy-duty police issue flashlight and heads back into the woods herself. It’s eerie being out here alone, but she had to take a break from the swarms of people to take a minute to herself or she would’ve snapped. She walks for almost thirty minutes, a small part of her nervous that she will lose her path back, but a larger portion of her urging her on. Scully flinches when her flashlight beam lands on something.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Or rather, someone.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mulder?” She whispers his name, although there is not a doubt in her mind that it’s him. He’s standing with his back to her. Scully walks a few steps closer, hand outstretched but hesitates before placing it on his shoulder. She doesn’t know why she’s suddenly scared to touch him, like he’ll disappear like a mirage. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She realizes she’s holding her breath. He turns, looking surprised. “Scully, what are you doing out here? I came to check out something, I’ll be back before morning for the case.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mulder, you’ve been missing for twelve hours.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He actually laughs at that, showing her his watch “You must’ve had some dream, it’s only 12:37am, see?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Your watch stopped. It’s 10:00pm on Wednesday.” Scully looks at him in wonder, eyes searching his- he seems so sincere, like he truly has no idea that he’s been gone for so long.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You're freezing.” She notes, he’s not dressed very warmly and evidently he’s been out here all night and then some. He shrugs and she tugs on his hand. “Let’s get you inside.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What were you doing out here?” They trek back toward the cabins, Scully focusing only on him instead of her tracks, like she’s afraid he’ll disappear right in front of her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“There was a light….” He trails off, turning around but no longer finding the beckoning pinpoint that has entranced him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A light from the sky.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Missing time.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A stopped watch.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He inhaled deeply, “What happened to me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>~</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A fair amount of time, too much time, passes until they’re alone again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There are announcements to the public and local PD, calls to Skinner and Mulder’s mother. Everything is a hustle until they end up back in one of the cabins, each breathing a sigh of relief. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Scully checks him over, never more grateful for the traveling medical bag that Melissa had gotten her than in this moment. She uses a pen light to check his pupil reaction, checks his reflexes (he laughs at her for that), checks him over for wounds.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Other than being cold and a little hungry, he seems to be perfectly fine.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She stands between his legs as he sits on the edge of the bed, setting the pen light down and unable to muster up enough strength to stop herself from pressing a kiss to his forehead. Mulder’s hands come up to rest lightly on her hips, always so tender.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You scared me.” Scully murmurs.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry. I don’t know what happened. I don’t remember anything, just being out in the woods looking and then turning around to see you.” He sighs and rests his forehead against her stomach, closing his eyes.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Something was out there, and it wanted me out there too.” Mulder shivers, and Scully moves- reluctantly, God does she want to stay with his arms around her forever- to grab a blanket. She wraps it around him and helps him lay down on the bed, tucked under several layers. She grabs one blanket for herself and settles into the armchair a few feet from the bed, his eyes on her the whole time.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Lay with me.” He says, and Scully </span>
  <em>
    <span>knows,</span>
  </em>
  <span> knows in her core that if she truly doesn’t want to, he would never force her, he’d let her make her choice and never bring it up again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She crawls into bed beside him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She spoons him and he chuckles, but his body is cold and he needs comfort and this is Mulder, her Mulder. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They fall asleep tangled together, red hair mixing with brown on the pillow. Her hand rests in his and their shared body heat keeps the temperature much more comfortable than their nights spent alone.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tonight, the light does not come.</span>
</p>
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